


The Moments Before

by ladyoneill



Series: Shadows Of The Moon: Full Moon Ficlets [75]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: F/M, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-01
Updated: 2015-07-01
Packaged: 2018-04-07 01:32:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4244472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyoneill/pseuds/ladyoneill
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The hunters arrive, the war is just around the corner.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Moments Before

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I suck. I haven't written anything for Dark Side of the Moon in over six months. Thanks to everyone who hung in there waiting patiently! I'm back to writing for fullmoon ficlets so there will be more of this series. Written for the prompt "calm before the storm". This is set right before the start of the Hunter/Hale Pack War. Oh, I've corrected Rafe's name--it's now Rafe.

The insistent ringing of the doorbell wakes John who blinks groggily into the dim light seeping around the edges of the drawn curtains.

"G'way," Melissa groans from beside him, face smashed into her pillow.

A glance over to the night stand reveals that it's not quite six o'clock in the morning.

Cold terror fills him and he scrambles from the bed, nearly tripping over his slippers, then ignoring them as he yells, "Mel, get up," before racing down the hallway to the front door.

There's any number of reasons someone is ringing their doorbell at the break of dawn, and none of them good.

Wrenching open the front door he stares at Chris Argent, blatantly armed and looking exhausted with deep purple circles beneath his eyes. There's a bruise forming along his jaw, and frustration in his cold blue eyes.

"They're here," is all he says, and, going numb, John steps back to let him inside. As he does so, he realizes Melissa's behind him, eyes wide with fear, but face set in determination.

"I'll put the coffee on. Come into the kitchen." She leads the way and as the coffee maker starts to drip, they sit at the table, and John reaches for her hand, gripping it tightly, as Chris runs fingers through his hair.

"They gave me a warning out of courtesy," he says, voice low and even. "Came to the apartment at exactly midnight. The heads of three families, but I know there are more. They kept me there until about fifteen minutes ago. They..." His eyes drifted from Melissa to John, then back to his hands clasped on the table top. John notices there are ligature marks around his wrists. "At first they were friendly enough, trying to get me to join them. When I refused, the friendliness went away."

"Did they really think you would join them?" John asks.

Chris shakes his head. "No. It was a formality. It should never have been broached with me."

Melissa eyes widen as she breathes, "Allison."

"Yeah, but after my refusal they made it quite clear that they consider her a blood traitor and that I'm one step away. They warned me to stay out of the fight. I...wasn't polite in my refusal." His fingers brush his jaw, a self deprecating smile twisting his lips. "They couldn't kill me then, but I'll be a target as soon as I join the war. They really expected me to step aside, to let them go after my daughter without my interference." He shakes his head. "As if I could..."

"Why did you come here and not Peter's?"

"Because Hale still doesn't trust me enough to let me on his land alone. I didn't want to wake Allison. Nothing will happen for twenty four hours, well, less now, that was from midnight. I...Her youngest has been colicky, keeping her up most of the nights recently. I figured, let her get all the rest she can."

"There are so many babies," Melissa murmurs sadly as she rises to fetch the coffee pot and mugs.

After they've all fixed their cups--John and Chris' black, Melissa's with a packet of sweetener--John asks, "Shouldn't the wards Stiles put around the town have alerted him?"

"Only if they cause harm to anyone. I guess a punch to the jaw wasn't enough. Once they cross the boundary of Hale land, Stiles will know, but I do believe they'll hold off until midnight tonight."

"You trust them?"

Shrugging, Chris takes a sip of coffee. "The leaders of those three families, yeah. Others? Well, I guess we'll see who has control of the group as a whole. We can only hope for a disorganised mess, but I won't be counting on it."

Melissa glances at her watch. "We should get dressed, head out to the house, warn everyone before they send the kids to school. I'll call in sick. Call Rafe," she adds as she stands to head back to the bedroom.

Once she's gone, Chris turns to John, a frown on his face. "One thing we've avoided talking about is how you're going to respond."

John startles, but then drains his cup and answers firmly, "They're threatening my kid, my grandkids, I'll do whatever I have to."

"John, you, McCall, Parrish, you're law enforcement. Are you really ready to turn your back on your belief that the law is the only way?"

"I already did, when I put a bullet through the skull of that asshole who hurt Zoe." Lips thinning, he adds, "I've been to war, Chris. It's ugly, brutal, and I'll do anything and everything I have to in order to put an end to this one as soon as I can. If I have to face the legal consequences, I will, but I already know I can live with myself. These hunters are here to destroy our families simply because they exist. They lose their right to live the moment they take aim at one of our children. Any of our children."

"Even Peter?" Chris asks shrewdly.

"We haven't always seen eye to eye. I'll probably never completely forgive him for that first year with Stiles, but my kid loves him with his entire being. My grandkids love him and, while he may be an asshole, he's a great father. He's a great Alpha. He's the Alpha they all need to survive this."

Chris snorts lightly, then rises to his feet. "The Alpha we all need, and, I hope my father is spinning in his grave at what I just said. I'm going to Allison's. We'll meet you at the Hale House."

Nodding, John sees him to the door before hurrying off to dress. Melissa's stuffing medical supplies in her bag while talking to Scott on her cell. Hanging up, she turns and reaches for him, holding him tightly.

"Less than eighteen hours," she mutters.

"We'll take it," he soothes. "Every second with our family to get ready, we'll take."

End


End file.
